Marshall Blucher

He was a veteran of many of the European wars in the late 18th and early 19th century, indeed he had fifty fears of military service behind him by the time Waterloo was fought. Prior to the Napoleonic Wars the Prussians had a high military reputation mainly because of the astonishing victories of Frederick the Great.

Blucher was a Prussian military commander of the old school and had lived through some of his country’s biggest successes not to mention worst defeats, in particular the savage mauling at Jena in 1806. That shattering defeat had led to the restructuring of the Prussian army and a subservient role to France.

Blucher had played a prominent role in the campaigns against France in 1813 – 14 that led to the abdication of Napoleon and the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy. The Prussian victory at Leipzig However the following year the erstwhile Emperor returned for 100 days.

Alongside Wellington he was tasked with defeating the French. Unfortunately the Prussians were not linked to the British / Dutch / Hanoverian and Napoleon intended to defeat them separately. The Prussians were defeated at Ligney on 16 June yet the French did not stop them reaching Waterloo two days later. The late arrival of the Prussians completed the defeat of the French already mauled by Wellington’s forces.

Bibliography

Clarke C (2006) Iron Kingdom – The Rise and Fall of Prussia

Holmes R (2002) Wellington – The Iron Duke

Holmes R (2007) Battlefield